Mikel Arteta Explains Ben White's Absence Against Fulham

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has provided an explanation for defender Ben White's absence in today's match against Fulham.

Arteta stated, "He had a little niggle two days ago. Yesterday we tried, he wasn’t feeling right, so we decided not to put him in the squad today."

White has faced recent injury challenges. Four months ago, he underwent knee surgery expected to sideline him for eight weeks, ruling him out for the remainder of 2024.

 The 27-year-old right-back had been playing through a knee problem, limiting him to 12 appearances that season. His absence added to Arteta's defensive concerns, with other players like Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Kieran Tierney also sidelined at that time.

Additionally, reports have indicated that White has been experiencing a dip in form, possibly due to a muscle injury sustained around the start of last month. Despite these challenges, Arteta has had limited options to rest White, given the team's defensive injuries.